Earthquake in Indonesia leaves at least 56 killed, hundreds injured

A shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake killed at least 56 people and injured hundreds when it damaged buildings and triggered landslides on Indonesia's main island of Java on Monday, officials said.

Doctors treated patients outdoors after the quake -- felt as far away as the capital Jakarta -- left hospitals without power for several hours.

The afternoon quake was centred in the Cianjur region of West Java, according to the United States Geological Survey, with local authorities saying 56 people had been killed and over 700 wounded.

The majority of deaths were counted in one hospital, head of Cianjur's local administration Herman Suherman said earlier, with most of the victims killed in the ruins of collapsed buildings.

Locals rushed victims to the hospital on pickup trucks and motorbikes, according to footage obtained by AFP.

They were placed in front of the facility as residents spread a tarpaulin on the road for the bodies.

Thousands of houses could have been damaged in the quake, Adam, a spokesperson for the administration who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name, told a news agency.

Shops, a hospital and an Islamic boarding school in the town were severely damaged, according to Indonesian media.

Broadcasters showed several buildings in Cianjur with their roofs collapsed and debris lining the streets.

Relatives of victims congregated at the hospital while at another facility, Cimacan hospital, green tents were erected outside for makeshift treatment, according to a reporter at the scene.